...sorry folks it's another Betta question. /blush.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":blush:" border="0" alt="blush.gif" /> I've nearly finished the Betta profiles (at least for now), so this should be the last one for a while. Stay with us at the back there, especially you Mick! /tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" />

Ok Haji (or anyone!) I'm hoping you can help here. I have locality information for B. unimaculata as the upper Kayan and Howong rivers in eastern Borneo. However I can't find either of these on a map and would like to be more specific in the profile ie. list the districts where these rivers are, or at least in which part of Kalimantan Timur. Also does anyone know what "Bahulak" is? It's given as one of the localities. A town maybe? Also why is this fish so scarce in the hobby, I can't find any pictures (except for yours of those stunning fish from Mahakam, Haji) anywhere. Everything else on the web seems to show B. ocellata.... /wacko.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":wacko:" border="0" alt="wacko.gif" />

Finally what are the external characteristics that can be used to identify unimaculata from others in the unimaculata complex?

Mature male has iridescent blue opercle scales,with a single iridescent scale on dark upper region of head which is speckled with black dots.Body is brown in color with irregular faint black bars on lower half.Chin bar is present.Anal fins with black dots.

Betta ocellata has a distinct black spot near the caudal peduncle;body brownish,opercle blue;uniform caudal fin coloration;body relatively stocky,broad with pointed head.They can be found in many areas in South east and western Sabah,Malaysia.There are two types of ocellata ie the yellow and blue/green variant.The blue/green which is collected in Danum Valley has often been mistaken for unimaculata.

The only known locality for the ocellata in Indonesia is Eastern kalimantan ie within the Sebuku basin.

I have try to check on this "Bahulak" but i can't find any of the place under this name.I will try again later.

A male ocellata (F1)

A female (old photo) ... This female is now abt 6 inches TL.

The ocellata is quite common here within Malaysia and Singapore region.Most of the hobbyist have a collection of them.But the unimac is very rare.The reason for their rarity is due to the fact that they can only be collected from the Howong and Kajan area.This area is unaccessible ...... the only way to go there is to use small boats.Collection trips are almost impossible due to fallen trees and branches which block the smaller streams/rivers.When i got mine,i thought that it was a compuncta.This is because the gps coordinates that i got indicated that the place where compuncta was collected earlier.

July 27, 20083:20 pm

Matt

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Haji, that's brilliant thanks! I've actually just posted this elsewhere as I thought it had slipped too far down the forum for you to see it. /rolleyes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":rolleyes:" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" /> Whereabouts in Kalimantan Timur are the rivers Howong/Kajan mate?

Cake or death?

July 27, 20083:35 pm

Haji Badaruddin

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Most of the rivers are interconnected,for eg the Mahakam which starts from East kalimantan also cross into Middle kalimantan.For the purpose of translation:East=Timur,West=Barat,Middle=Tengah and South=Selatan.Kalimantan is a huge place where most of the areas are inaccessible.Howong and Kajan is located in the Eastern side of Kalimantan.

Kajan is upper kayan river whereas Howong is within the Mahakam river.

July 27, 20083:41 pm

Matt

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Thanks you once again Haji. Invaluable information. /smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" /> Hope you manage to find out what Bahulak is.